Telecommunication cables are ubiquitous and used for distributing all manner of data across vast networks. The majority of cables are electrically conductive cables (typically copper), although the use of optical fiber cables is growing rapidly in telecommunication systems as larger and larger amounts of data are transmitted. Additionally, as data transmissions increase, the fiber optic network is being extended closer to the end user which can be a premise, business, or a private residence.
As telecommunication cables are routed across data networks, it is necessary to periodically open the cable so that one or more telecommunication lines therein may be spliced and connected to other cables or “branches” of the telecommunication network. At each point where a telecommunication cable is opened, it is necessary to provide a telecommunication enclosure to protect the exposed interior of the cable. The cable branches may be further distributed until the network reaches individual homes, businesses, offices, and so on. These networks are often referred to as fiber to the X (FTTX) networks which can include fiber to the premise (FTTP), fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the antenna (FTTA) networks.
In an FTTH network, optical fiber is brought to the end user and connected to the optical network terminal (ONT) unit mounted on a wall or elsewhere in the premises of the end user. For example, in a home or living unit of an apartment or other multi-dwelling structure, the ONT may be located near the television, on a desk, or near the telephone. The ONT converts this optical signal into conventional electrical signals to provide voice (telephone), Internet (data), video signals and/or wireless signals (WIFI) to the end user.
Fiber terminals are one type of telecommunication enclosure that is typically located near an end user in a FTTP or FTTH network to distribute the final service to the end user. Typical fiber terminals are designed to drop services (to provide service connections) to a small number of premises having typically between four to sixteen end users. The last service connection from the fiber terminal is made to the ONT, located at the end user using a drop cable. The service providers want a plug and play solution to facilitate extension of their fiber to the home installations as they extend their networks closer to their customers.
Today, ruggedized optical connectors attached to the terminal ends of optical fiber drop cables are gaining popularity for quick, reliable field service connections to environmentally protect the optical connection by providing an environmental seal between the terminal and the and ruggedized connector housing as well as between the connector housing and the drop cable. Several conventional ruggedized connectors have a proprietary connection interface, are factory terminated onto the optical fiber drop cable, can be overdesigned for aerial final drop installations, and can be expensive.
In addition, service providers are asking for solutions that use drop cables that have standard format, non-hardened connectors, but these connectors do not provide an adequate environmental seal, so that if they are used they must be disposed in the interior of the optical fiber terminal, not providing the plug and play solution that the service providers are looking for as they extend their fiber networks closer to the end-user's premises.